Feed westcott



P. WESTGOTT.

LIGHTNING ROD.

'. (No Model.)

No. 362,801. Patented May 10, 1887.

n .m n w n I Witnesses.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED YVESTGOTT, OF BUFFALO, NEV YORK.

LIGHTNING-ROD.

! h SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,801, dated May 10, 1887.

Application filed August 12, 1886. Serial No. 210,675. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat-I, FRED WEsTcorT, a citi zen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Lightning-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable reservoir-conductor for 1i ghtningrods; and it consists in certain improvements in the reservoir, by means of which it may be readily filled or emptied of water, thereby providing the means for testing the reservoir at any time to ascertain if it is leaking or filled with water, or to remove the old and put in fresh water when required, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter shown, described, and claimed, by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical central section on line X X, Fig. 2, through the tank; and Fig. 2 is a top view of the same.

The tank 1 ispreferably made of copper; but any other suitable material may be used.

The lightning-rod 2 is secured to the top 3 of the tank by a screw portion, 4,Which screws into the conducting-point 5, as shown in Fig. 1, enough being broken away to show the screw and socket in section. The upper portion ofthe rod 2 is secured in any \vellknown way to the building or other support. This rod 2 may also be made in any well-known way, and is preferably made of copper.

In the top of the tank is secured, by solder or in any other well-known way, an outlet or overflow tube, 6. This tube extends down to within an inch, more or less, of the bottom of the tank, and extends upward above the top of the tank, so as to project above the ground two or three feet or more.

7 represents an inlet-tube secured, by solder or other well-known means, to the top of the tank, and is provided with a pivoted cap or cover, 8. At the bottom of the tank is a Valve, 9, made in the usual way, and kept down to its seat by a spring, 10. To this valve is attached a chain, 11, which passes up through the tube 7 in the top .of the tank,

and is provided with a ring, 12, by which it is operated. This tube 7 extends a short distance above the tube (5. e The object of the copper tank is to hold salt-water or other conducting-fluid. The tank, being of copper and placed at the bottom of the lightning-rod a sufficient depth below the ground and filled, 5 preferably, with saltwater, acts as a good conductor for the electric fluid from thelightning-rod to the earth; and the object of the tubes 6 and 7 is to provide the means for changing the water'in the tank for fresh water, which should be done at least once a year, for the reason that the water is liable to become stagnant or impure after lying quietly for such a length of time. The inlettube 7 being the highest, water is poured 6 down through it into the tank, and when full it rises lip-through the overfiow or outlet tube 6 and passes out. In this way the water. may be changed as often as desired, as it will be readily seen that as the fresh water is'poured down through the inlet-tube 7 the foul water in the tank is displaced thereby and caused to rise up through the overflowtube 6; and it will be further seen that as this process is continued all the old water will be forced out 7 I and the fresh water will take its place. In this way the water may be changed as often as may be deemed necessary; or when a valve, 9, is used it may be opened by pulling the chain 11, and the water allowed to run out, after which the valve may be closed, and the tank refilled with fresh water. This device can also be used to ascertain if the tank is full of water or if it is in a leaky condition. This is an important feature, as it provides the 35 means whereby it may be known at any time whether the tank is in working order or not.

If desired, the valve may be dispensed with, as the water can be changed'in the tank without it; or the outlet-tube 6 may be dispensed 0 with, and the inlet-tube and the valve alone used for emptying and filling the tank.

The discharge-rod or condnctingpoint 5 and receiving-point ll are covered with gold,

in the usual way.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a lightning rod, 2, 8. The combination of the rod 2, the water the water-tank 1, the inlet-tube 7, and outlettank 1, outlet-tube 6, inlet-tube 7, chain 11, 1o

tube 6, as and for the purposes described. and valve 9, substantially as and for the pur 2. In a lightning-rod, the combination of poses described. 5 the rod 2, the water-tank 1, and an in1et-tnbe, FRED VVESTGOTT.

7,and valve 9, provided with a chain for oper- XVitnesses: ating it, substantially as and for the purposes J ENNIE M. CALDWELL, described.

JAMES SANGSTER. 

